Anyone who knows me personally will be shocked to find out what I picked for my favorite movie of 2011. I am a die-hard “Pirates of the Caribbean” fan and though the fourth installment was everything I hoped it to be, one epic finale in a sequel made my pick for number one this time. That film is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”
I wasn’t a big Harry Potter fan until seeing the final movie. I didn’t read the books either, but I have every intention to do so now. The fearless three, Harry, Ron and Hermione engage in the last adventure at Hogwarts, chasing and destroying Horcruxes to bring the sinister Lord Voldemort to his demise. While doing so, Hermione has to channel Beatrix Lestrange (a truly outstanding performance by the peculiar Helena Bonham-Carter), in order to obtain the Horcrux she has hidden in a vault. Harry learns what dark secrets Severus Snape hides beneath his cloak (with Alan Rickman giving one of his most brilliant performances yet), and we have no choice but to feel some compassion for the man who caused Dumbledore to fall.
The film lets some minor characters get their due time, such as Maggie Smith who plays a side we all have yearned to see in Professor Minerva McGonagall. Always adhering to the rules of Hogwarts, the Professor shields the castle with all the energy she can assert and prepares herself for the battle of a lifetime with some humorous banter. Lost in the series more often than usual, Neville Longbottom gets to contribute to Gryffindor ten-fold and gives viewers an unforgettable surprise.
It is inevitable that the dark Lord will fall and how it all came to pass was epic in itself. The final battle leaves Hogwarts in shambles, looking like a ruined city of the past, but the friendship and teamwork of those who are able to walk its tattered halls, keep the foundation strong. With one dose of evil finally out of the picture, we get a glimpse that Hogwarts will be filled yet again with the voices of young witches and wizards, who will slowly find their places and fulfill their destinies.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is set to be released on DVD November 2011, so if you haven’t gotten a chance to indulge in this magical world, you still have time until this epic adventure can be yours.